The first thing to work its way into Tasha's gradually surfacing awareness is the birdsong. It isn't quite like what creens produce.. they aren't so warbly. Next comes the feeling of heaviness, but that's mostly from being sunk so far into the pillow-like down mattress. Smell comes next, along with whisker-sense, both telling of a slight warm breeze and Spring flowers. She opens her eyes to look up at the plaster ceiling, which is likely not what she was expecting.
"Uhh...?" Tasha groan as her eyes open wider, then squint against the light. Everything's a hazy, but as her conciousness re-emerges from the wreck of memories and darkness, she becomines increasingly aware that something it wrong.
Very wrong.
Her body feels like it doesn't want to move, shouldn't move, her memories of what came before reminding her of the clash of steel, fire and smoke, and the end -- so close that she isn't sure she that it hasn't passed. And as she looks around, she begins to grow increasingly uncertain that she hasn't passed on. Afraid to ask but needing answers, she ventures a groggy, dry-voiced, " ... Hello?"
The door to the room opens, and a nurse enters carrying a tray with a glass and a clear pitcher of water. Tasha can tell it's a nurse because of the uniform, even though she doesn't recall ever actually seeing one like it before. But that's secondary to the fact that the nurse is also Tasha. "You're probably thirsty," Nurse Tasha says, setting the tray on the night table and pouring a glass of water. "You were last time."
Bed-ridden Tasha watches her double approach with increasing dubiousness, her brows arching and her ears canting back. There's some comfort in seeing medical personnel, but given the medical person is her, she can't quite dismiss the possibility she may be dead -- nor the worrying notion that in death she's dreamed of herself. She recalls another theory, giving her hope she isn't both dead and conceited.
Deciding she can only sit and be suspicious so long when the nurse is expecting an answer, she replies, "Thank you," and reaches to accept teh glass. A moment later she asks, "Are you ... an AI projection?"
"I'm your PersoCom," Nurse Tasha replies. "Remember the big fight we had? What is the last thing you remember, Tasha?" she asks, piling the pillows so Tasha can sit up easier.
"Oh ... That's right. It feels like a long time ago. then I must be on the Bellerophon. What's left of me, anyway." Bed-Tasha takes a sip as she thinks. It takes her several seconds before she says, "I remember piloting Balthasar, but an ... external force-"
The flash of memory, of a cruel figure in burning armor taunting her even while it invited her to join it. Become part of it. And together, they would ...
Tasha sucks in a breath, forgetting the drink in her hands, letting it crash to the floor.
"Ack," Nurse Tasha says, and picks up the bits of glass.. which she sticks back together to make a new drinking glass. "What was the external force?" she asks. "Do you remember?"
The bed ridden woman exhales through her teeth, like the hiss of a angered animal. "Yes," she breathes a split-second later. "Abaddon."
Nurse Tasha sits on the edge of the bed, looking a bit concerned at her patient's reaction. "The deity?" she asks, just to be certain.
"Yes!" The bed-ridden woman's ears go askew, then she frowns. "Well, no. Maybe ... He could be. Of this world. The Abaddon of this world. The AI ... Destroyer ... "
Nurse Tasha puts a hand on Tasha's shoulder before she gets too worked up. "Okay, so.. this AI infiltrated Balthasar's systems?"
"Yes," Bed-ridden Tasha says with certainty, "And it's not the first time he's tried. He tried with me the first time I left the Forbidden Zone on Abaddon, and he came for Harmonia at an undisclosed time in the past. He's always been here, we're not the first. He killed the others, and he wanted to kill us too. To cleanse the world. He wanted to clease the world. And he did so ... Many times. He needed us. Balthasar and I. He invaded Balthasar and he tried to reach me, too. He would have, if Melchior hadn't come. And then ... "
The woman frowns, laying back in bed and looking haunted, her voice dropping to a whisper, "It would have been all over."
The nurse makes a show removing a notepad from her pocket, and looks at it. "Do you know how Melchior was able to self-activate, and why it took the Silent One's Origin Marker before leaving Harmonia?"
Tasha looks up, watching her double. "I think the First Ones intervened," she replies.
"Umm.. in what way?" Nurse Tasha asks, one eyebrow raised up. "I mean.. did you pray or anything?"
The bed-ridden woman watches her double for a moment more, than explains, "I think they came in response to Abaddon's attempt to take over Balthasar. Maybe they've been watching us, but whatever the case is, they knew that Abaddon gaining control of both Abaddon and myself would mean the world would be in danger. And if that wasn't enough, then they would be. Because Abaddon knew about the Markers and they were his next target. If not his first target."
"Did Abaddon give any more details about the First Ones, if he claimed to be targeting them?" Nurse Tasha asks.
"He called them the "Meddlers," he called us -- that is, the Fleet species -- just the effect. They were the cause. And us, he called the invaders," the other Tasha replies.
"So.. the First Ones.. well, our First Ones.. were in conflict with the Sifras or at least with their caretaker systems?" Nurse Tasha asks, both eyebrows raised now.
In-bed Tasha nods. "That's what it seeemed like to me. Abaddon said he was the last of his kind that remained awake, maybe the last kind that still existed. The First Ones sealed them away somehow," she elaborates.
Nurse Tasha takes off her cap and runs her hand through her hair. "The Temple would not like to hear this," she notes.
"No one will. It is what it is. But Abaddon is dead -- I killed him," the other Tasha says.
"How do you know?" Nurse Tasha asks. "I mean.. well, I have no idea how Sifras AIs would work, really. But it sounds like they can be shut down and restarted, unless there's some quality that prevents just restoring from backup."
"Melchior told me he was. That he invested himself in to Balthasar fully. I remember losing control, and his armor twisting under his influence. I remember killing him. I remember feeling sad. But little after that," the convalescent says.
"Well, after that you were brought back to Harmonia," Nurse Tasha says. "Gabriel pulled you out of the cockpit and you were hooked up to the pilot system.. and then put into stasis. As long as you were connected, Harmonia could change her course on Gabriel's orders, and started towards Tartarus Base. It took almost ten days before they got the landing pod working. You were brought down and tanked. A few days later, when you were more stable, Dr. Caravelli had to perform some.. uh.. surgery. Then you were tanked again. Every ten days we've taken you out of your induced coma to check on your recall. You did a lot better this time, so I'm guessing your brain is mostly recovered from the shock."
At the news, the original Tasha stares up at her double with wide eyes. It takes her several seconds to recover, and even then she stammers, "H-how long have I been asleep?!"
"About sixty days, in total," Nurse Tasha says. "It would have been longer, but Colonel Rapatia provided us with some useful Vartan cell samples and medical data. The Silent Ones salvaged some of Balthasar, but the Mind-of-Light was destroyed on the spot, and the crystal elements scattered over a fifty-mile-long stretch of deep canal."
"The canal," Tasha mutters, sounding disgusted. "I should have known better. We can't let those things escape, who knows what they'll do! We can't let him come back." She frowns for a moment, then grabs hold of the side of the bed and begins to get up!
"Hey, relax.. this is all a simulation, remember? Where do you plan on going?" Nurse Tasha asks.
The other Tasha pauses, the exhales as she drops back in to bed.
"Nowhere," she admits, though she certainly doesn't sound happy about it. "Hokay, fine, fine. Did you at least recover Melchior's shaard? I ... I remember it being embedded in the ground, and in ... him ... before I, um, tore him apart."
"The shaard and the Silent One's Marker are back in the Pit, at the Titan Hangar," Nurse Tasha replies, glad that Tasha is settling down. "The crystals were all inert, according to the report: no glow or other activity. There've been a few other developments while you've been asleep, both personal and political."
Bed-ridden Tasha closes her eyes, breathing a huff before she says, "I assume they know, now. About the Markers. And the Archon ... Well, lets hear it."
Nurse Tasha flips to another page of her notepad. "Well, politically.. the PHTO, JEF and the Knights Templar have entered into an agreement, whereby the first class of JEF recruits would come from the Templars. This was deemed more prudent than starting with an open recruitment and having to deal with factional rivalries and grudges between the applicants. In return, the Templars will make available their industrial capability and vast store of Expedition technology. A Miss Vesuvius was instrumental in brokering the deal."
"That's good news," original Tasha admits, sounding like she expected far worse. "Katherine took charge then?"
"Gabriel spearheaded it," Nurse Tasha notes. "Frankly, he's been working non-stop since your.. convalescence. Scholar Hakeber is our recruitment officer in Expedition City."
"Poor Gabriel. It must have been hard on him, to deal with all this," covalescent Tasha says, frowning and laying her ears back. "Please tell him to get some rest when you see him again."
"He doesn't get out this way very often," Nurse Tasha admits. "There's.. well, when the original and their projection get close, there's some memory transfer. Since ghost-Gabe is in a relationship with ghost-Nora.. it's awkward."
"I can imagine. I need to talk to her too, when I ... um ..," the woman in the bed glances around, shaking her head in apparent disbelief at it all, "get out."
After settling head head back again, the woman asks, "What is the rest of the news?"
"Well, Reactor 2 is online now, using a cobbled-together laser pump and salvaged maser systems," Nurse Tasha recites. "Harmonia if following a loop that brings her in pick-up range of the Pit, Expedition City and Tartarus, so that we can move supplies. Enough old hull material has been transferred from Expedition City that we can start re-skinning the exposed engines on Bellerophon, and the interior work is moving along. Dr. Caravelli has a treatment for the drug that the Legionaries are addicted to, but the treatment takes time. We have a whole platoon to try it on though. And.. uh.. there's this.."
The nurse opens the notebook (which looks like regular ruled paper) flat on the bed, and a projection appears of one of the suspension tanks. Floating in the center, nearly obscured by the umbilical tubes and wires.. is a furless puppy. "That's Mariel. She volunteered to be first.."
"Mariel ..," original Tasha breathes, leaning forward. After looking for a long moment, the woman returns to rest, rubbing at her eyes. "She always was braver than she let herself believe. What happened, when the process began? Does she still exist in her ghostly form, or was she ... absorbed?"
"The projected form is.. gone," Nurse Tasha relates. "We were sort of expecting that, from how things went with Fallen Star. We've taken her data wafer out of MOTHER as well. Her PersoCom is still available, and handling communications."
"I thought that might be the case. I've learned a lot more about the connections between ghosts since then, but even so, I wasn't entirely sure this would happen. But I'm glad. It means Mariel can start over, and not be shackled to the tragedy of the past. A new beginning. I couldn't ask for a braver person to keep me company," the other Tasha says, a gentle smile coming to her face and doing much to soften her otherwise stricken expression. "Is there anything else?"
"The Legionaries are being housed in the Titan Bay on Bellerophon," Nurse Tasha replies. "They can't leave, for political reasons. Tartarus is Expedition territory, and having AWOL members of the Offworld Legion set foot in there would be a gigantic mess. The base officially is unaware of their presence. Unofficially, they know we're keeping a group here that eats a lot."
"I guess it can't be helped, though given all that we do here the AWOL Kampfengruppe members probably seem tame by comparison. How's my Melchior? I remember being pretty rough with him, back there, though I might be imagining it. So much seems hazy, like it happened to someone else, or in another life -- and that's saying a lot for someone like me," the bed-ridden version asks.
"He's up on Harmonia still," Nurse Tasha notes. "Where was some damage that's been repaired by the maintenance systems there - apparently he was exposed to some short bursts of tremendous stress, causing microscopic fractures in almost all of his armor. He hasn't moved on his own though, and the Vartan Marker is still in his cockpit."
"That must have been Balthasar attempting to use its control over gravitation to crush him. I remember that well. I was trapped in Balthasar's cockpit after Abaddon took control -- I refused to eject, I didn't want to abandon my post in the face of the damger Abaddon posed and had attempted to self-destruct the machine manually, but failed. There was nothing I could do until Melchior showed up, and when Abaddon threatened him with his gravitation weapon, I explosed my powered armor's core in the cockpit in the hopes I could interupt the process -- or at least provide a distraction. I don't remember what happened after, only that I was then in Melchior's cockpit and fighting Balthasar," the original explains. She turns to look out the window, frowning a moment before she admits, "I really wasn't expecting to come back alive. That I'm here meant I failed. It's lucky for us we seem to have friends in high places, but I still can't help but think I put the world in danger needlessly."
"Quite a few people are curious as to just how the Melchior was able to defeat Balthasar," Nurse Tasha notes. "And not just Dr. Zerachiel. Balthasar should have been unstoppable."
"Yes, he should have been. I know better than anyone: for a little while, that power was mine. Melchior didn't stand a chance, and I knew it. It's a terrifying power, seductive and nigh-absolute. It was what Abaddon had always hoped for, and in controlling it and me, he nearly had everything." The convalescent watches the sun-light expanse outsider her window. Peaceful, and seeimgly far removed from where she lay dying in what feels like only seconds ago. When it seems like she may have drifted off again, she suddenly explains, "It was the Marker. Melchior embedded it when he caught Balthasar from falling in to the revine. Balthasar is made in the image of Neith, creator of the Silent-Ones, First one, and who's Marker it was intended to carry. Somehow, the presence of the Marker inhibited Balthasar's control. That appears to be how we could destroy him."
"So the Vartan Marker allowed Melchior to act without a pilot, and the Silent-One's Marker disrupted the Sifran weapons systems on Balthasar?" Nurse Tasha asks, looking thoughtful.
"That's how it seemed to me, but I may have been halucinating. The fact that they were present does seem to back my hypothesis , however," the bed-ridden Tasha says.
"So.. defense could be their actual function, instead of just being keys?" the PersoCom suggests.
"I remember speaking to a scholar who suggested they may answer prayers, though I thought that must be wishful thinking at the time. Fate certainly proved me wrong, because I know they answered mine." Looking back, the patient asks, "How has the JEF handled what happened? What did you think happened?"
"As far as the PHTO and Knights are concerned, a dangerous piece of uncontrollable technology was destroyed," Nurse Tasha says. "I think you tried to save Balthasar, but.. well, I sorta think like you. That's not what I'm thinking now though. I'm thinking: the Markers didn't protect the ships they were on from succumbing to the SPF effects and crashing. And the Silent-Ones Marker sat next to Balthasar for thousands of years, but didn't react when you activated his systems to get him here to Abaddon. They only reacted when.. their old enemy stirred?"
"It seems that way," Tasha agrees. She watches her mirror self for a moment, then admits, "I'm not surprised you can tell. I did want to save him. I wanted to believe that the power he represented didn't need to be feared, that there could be a better way that didn't involve destroying him out of fear or hiding him away and trying to pretend the question didn't exist. And for his sake, I wanted his AI to have a chance to be something more. In the end, he accomplished what he believed he existed to do: he entrapped Abaddon and sacrificed himself so that we could destroy him. He died protecting his people, and all of us. And that is how I will remember him."
"You haven't asked about your own condition yet," Nurse Tasha points out. "Are you worried?"
"I've been trying not to think about it," the other woman admits. "Besides, it's a miracle I'm alive at all. I have no place to be ungrateful, whatever is left of me, and other things are more important right now." She hskaes her head, glacing towards the window and adds, "The people on this ship have been through much worse. Being overly concerned about myself seems kind of pathetic in comparison. But I guess I should know, since I don't have any other questions. It's not like I can avoid it forever."
"Well.. you suffered a bit of trauma," Nurse Tasha admits, picking up her notebook again. "Fractured skull, concussion, swelling of the brain, electrical burns, nerve and ear damage to the left side of your face, multiple broken bones. Your armor protected you from rupturing any major internal organs, except for your bladder. Dr. Caravelli had to remove a lot of unsalvageable tissue I'm afraid."
"I think something happened to my left hand ... I was holding the power core in that hand when I punctured it, and remember having difficulty controlling Melchior's left hand. His wings too," the other woman notes as she looks back to the nurse. "Like I said, everything was hazy after the explosion, up until I was in control of Melchior. And even then."
"Well, there's good news and.. other news.. regarding that," Nurse Tasha says, forcing a smile. "The data from Colonel Rapatia allowed Dr. Caravelli to work up a regeneration solution! So.. full function will be restored in time."
Tasha arches a brow at the hesitation. Aty the same time, she can't help but wonder at her double's obvious attempt to conceal bad news -- and if she's just as bad at hiding her emotions. "And?"
"Well.. uh.. whatever allowed our Karnor genes to express themselves originally.. isn't doing that now," Nurse Tasha says, holding the notebook to her chest. "Your left arm below the elbow, and your left ear and eye and.. that general area.. will be Vartan."
The original's ears go askew as she tries to picture the result, head head tilting. "I'm going to ... have half a beak?" She ventures.
"Oh no, your muzzle wasn't damaged that badly," Nurse Tasha assures. "Your eyes might not match.. and there'll be feathers. The ears might not look so mismatched, but.. you'll need to custom order your gloves, since you'll only have three fingers and a thumb on your left hand. Talon.. really."
The bed-ridden woman's ears lay back as she runs a hand back though her hair. "I guess it could be worse," she admits, sounding a bit perplexed by it all. "I could have ended up like Raehab. But, why didn't the Karnor genes assert? Not that I'm ungrateful, I'm sure Dr. Caravelli is doing all he can for me. I'm just curious."
"But no change in your kissing ability," the PersoCom says, and gives a thumbs-up with her right hand.
The other Tasha can't help but bark a laugh, then she smiles. "Well it's not a total loss then! I was half-expecting to wake up with bug-parts or machinery. Or just ... Nothing!"
"Well, the Karnor genes.. shouldn't have worked in the first place," Nurse Tasha admits. "It may have been something special in your mom's womb. The artificial amniotic fluid of the tanks wasn't having any real effect until it was swapped out for the Vartan formulation. That may be why the Vartan genes are being favored."
Still clutching the notebook, Nurse Tasha asks, a bit timidly, "Do you want to.. see?"
"I only exist through magic, so it stands to figure that without magic, I can't ... re-exist," the patient admits. She takes a moment to appreciate how demure she can be, something that had never really occured to her that she could do. It brings to mind all sorts of questions about how others percieve her and how she thinks they percieve her, but she decides those questions can wait -- after all, she's not going anywhere soon.
"Hokay," she replies at length.
The doppleganger takes a deep breath, and then opens the notebook and lays it flat on the bed again. The image forms again of a suspension tank, but this one is stuffed full of.. something vaguely recognizable as Tasha. The Life Collar is familiar, but the bulbous tube-infested plastic casings over the left side of her face and her left forearm are very different - and a bit disturbing, since the forearm 'bottle' is noticeably shorter than her right arm. Her wings are held in articulated braces, with pins clearly penetrating through the bones. But the strangest thing is that Tasha is naked. Or rather, more naked than she's ever bin: no fur, no hair, and no feathers. Aside from old scars, her pink skin's only decorations are the Khattan tattoos that flow along her limbs. But now, without any fur, she can see that they actually branch out and extend into finer and finer lines that must have grown after the initial tattooing. Her right hand is the most visibly effected by an extensive network, but other
areas show varying degrees of density.
The bed-ridden woman leans back, grimacing enough to show teeth. "Gods, I look terrible," she admits before leaning in again. She can only seem to take so much before she has look away. "I wouldn't have recognized myself if you hadn't told me beforehand. If this is how I look after two months, I can't imagine what a wreck I must have been in the cockpit. And Gabriel had to see it, it must have horrified him!"
"There was a lot to clean out of it," Nurse Tasha says. "The thing that gets me the most is our... your tail. It's just.. wrong. That and the wings. So I have to ask, since you still have the sensation: does looking at that make you hungry?"
"I never thought of myself as being wrong before, just different. I wonder if that's Nora influencing you. We're.. well, Nora should probably hear about this too. Um," she risks another glance at what's left of herself, having an extremely difficult time accepting she's looking at herself, "no, but then that's my body. Mostly it makes me feel ill."
The image goes away as Nurse Tasha picks up the notebook. "Well, that's enough of that then," she says. There a knocking at the door, in a rather odd pattern. Nurse Tasha sighs and looks to the ceiling. "Every time.." she mutters.
Original Tasha glances at the door, then her nurse-self, and back again. "Does this happen often?" She asks, sounding bemused. "Is someone trying to contact us from outside the system?"
"It happens every time you're woken up," Nurse Tasha says. "Of course, since you're actually lucid this time, I probably can't just shoo him away. It's your Secret Admirer," she notes with a smirk.
"My ... what?" Original Tasha asks, eyes widening. "It can't be Gabriel, can it? Do I look OK?"
"Gabriel wouldn't be Secret now would he?" Nurse Tasha asks. "I think I'll just surprise you," she says, and gets up off the bed to go over to the door. She opens it (revealing a hallway).. and nobody is there, apparently. Except that Nurse Tasha is look down, and panning her head towards the foot of the bed..
The other Tasha blinks when no one is there, then she slowly leans towards the edge of teh bed, looking down. "Hello..?"
A head pops over the foot of the bed. It's most certainly that of a small Naga, except that it's colored like a Silent-One. "Ah! Ah!" it squeaks. "Your wakeful visage makes love to my eyes! What divine coitus!" And then the creature crawls up onto the bed and slithers right across Tasha's covered legs. Small as Naga's go, maybe six feet long in total. But it's arms are out as if it expects a hug.
"W-what?" The original stammers, ears shooting up. She holds her hands up between the two of them, hesitating. It takes her a moment, then she asks, "SAINA..?"
"Yes! That is I, here in this strange familiar world!" the little Naga sings, and does try to give Tasha a hug with its small arms. "And you are the Tasha! You have returned from the Land of Nod! And you are fuzzy! Fuzzy fuzzy! And not wet!"
"Just ring the bell on the nightstand if you need me!" Nurse Tasha says, as she hurries outside and closes the door, eager to escape the strange serpent.
"You're as ... energetic as ever, I see. And maybe hanging around Fred too much." She looks up to thank her other self, but finds herself staring at the closed door instead. "Did I just get abandoned by ... myself?" She asks in disbelief, too stunned to realize she said it out loud.
"I reside in Mr. Koehler's Neighborhood, yes!" SAINA says cheerfully. "I learn many things! Whizzpop Brings On The Good Times! I can mix many drinks! You must tell me of your misadventures! Inquiring Entities Want To Know!"
Hesitantly, Tasha reaches out to pat the small serpent's head. "I'm afraid I'm not in any condition for entertaining right now, but I promise to tell you all about them later. I'm starting to feel tired, actually. I think being awake is catching up with me."
"Shall I ask them to turn you off again?" SAINA asks. "When would you like to be conscious once more? Time Is Relative!"
"I suppose I should wake up tomorrow and file a report about what happened. I've been asleep too long, letting others take care of me. I should probably at least send Gabriel a message now that I'm awake. I still can't believe I've been out so long ... longer than I've been in the JEF," the bed-ridden woman answers.
"Skip To My Loo, It Has Been Recently Disinfected," SAINA notes, nodding his little head in agreement. "Rest! Rejuvenate! Excrete your toxins! On the morrow we meet on the field of meeting! Are you going to finish that glass of water?"
The glass is slid over to the serpent. "Here you go. When you're finished, could you go get my other self, so I can connect to the relay system?"
The serpent seems unsure of what to do with the glass, so very carefully carries it down to the floor. "I cannot reach the door actuator," he notes when he reaches the door. "You must summon your golem with the bell of ringing."
"The bell?" Tasha glances over to the table, then reaches over to pick up the instrument. A second later she gives it a test ring.
It works like any bell, clanging loudly. The door opens and Nurse Tasha appears, hastily putting out a cigarette in her cup of what is probably coffee, since it didn't explode. "That was fast," she notes.
"I'm starting to feel really tired and it's getting harder and harder to think, so I figured I'm about out of time. I'd like to contact Gabriel and talk to him a little while before I return to sleep," she explains, putting the bell back on the table as she does. She stares at her other self a moment, then shakes her head a bit, as if she had lost track of what she was going to say. She breathes a signm then lays head head back down on the pillow.
"After that, I think I need a rest -- on second thought, maybe I should wait a while before I wake up again. I thought I'd be alright, but I'm really starting to feel it now. Just ..," she waggles her right hand vaguely, "out of the blue. I guess even here, I'm still not quite ... " She blinks, shakes her head again, then frowns. "Well, you know?"
"Dr. Caravelli will look at your counts and figure out how long to let you sleep, and what timerate to use when you're awake," Nurse Tasha says.. and then looks around to see if anyone is watching (other than SAINA, who coils in the doorway clutching the glass of water). Then she reaches down into the blouse of her uniform and pulls out.. what looks like Tasha's datapad! "Nora puts a lot of effort into these sims, and anachronisms like this give her fits, so if she asks I didn't give this to you," she whispers, handing the device over.
"Nora ... You can always rely on Nora ..," the bed-ridden Tasha admits, smiling in a drowsy sort of way. She holds the datapad to her chest for several seconds, eyes closed.
And then seconds becomes half a minute, and longer. The woman on the bed doesn't stir again, at least not today.